Fast line guide



May 8, 1956 c. M. OVERTON ET AL 2,744,696

FAST LINE GUIDE Filed April 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l R QQ "a IN VEN TOR;

y 8, 1.956 c. M. OVERTON EI'AL- 2,744,696

FAST LINE cum:

Filed April 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS can: M. OrERraM, H4RLB D. loom/6.5 pup BY tmno E. favor) 760m, am, Maw

THE/R firrnpwys horizontal girts or spreaders;

Unit d Statesv memo Scents. (or, 242-157 This'invention relates 'to oil well masts, and more particularly to fast line guides that are carried by such masts. The'length of drilling line between the di'awworks drum and'th'e crown block isj'called the fast line probably because it travels a great deal faster than the traveling block. As the fast line is reeled onto and off the drum, the line vibrates and has a tendency to' whip back and'forth for Well-known reasons. To prevent this, it is customary to hang a fast line guide on the mast, which .dampens the vibrations and prevents whipping". Such a guide generally is simply a. cluster of rollers surrounding the line in engagement with it and supported by the mast through cables in such a way that the rollers can move back and forth across the back ofthe mast asthefast line travels from oneend of the drum to'ithe other. The supporting elements for such guides take up space and often are in the way. Furthermore, the guides frequently have too much freedom of movement and do not control the fast line as well as they should.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a fast; line guide which is simple in construction, Whichis adjustable for different spacings between the line and mast, which can move only in one straight line, which requires but very little room, and which can be permanently attached to the mast.

In accordance with this invention, a track extends horizontally across the back of the mast. Preferably, the track is formed in part by a horizontal girt or spreader that extends across the back of the mast above the head of the gin pole. The track has a rear surface and it also has a pair of inclined front surfaces that converge for ward. Mounted on the track is a carriage that is provided with rollers which engage the front and rear surfaces of the track so that the carriage can be moved lengthwise of the track. A cluster of substantially horizontal rollers is supported by the carriage behind it, preferably on the outer end of an arm projecting from the back of the carriage. This cluster of rollers is adapted to receive and to engage a fast line to keep it from whipping The lateral pressure of the line against thecluster of rollers as the line runs on or off the drawworks drum causes the carriage to be moved back and forth on its track.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a fragmentary rear view of a mast provided with our fast line guide;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the mast showing one end of the guide; a I

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the guide, partly broken away; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the track and carriage taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 3.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, an oil well drilling mast is provided with a pair of front legs 1 and a pair of back legs 2. The front of the mast generally is open, but the back is closed -by diagonal braces 3 and At least one of these spreaders is in the form of an I-beam 4 disposedon its 2,744,696 Patented. y a, 1956 side ihe'rearflangeand part of the web projecting from the back of the mast. This 'spreaderis [formed into a track for ,the'fast line guide by welding narrow vertical plates 6along the upper and lower edges of the rear flange and bymounting inclined plates 7, above and below the web. The inclined plates likewise'fextend lengthwise of the spreader and they converge towardlthe front .of .the mast. Their outer or rear edges engage the, vertical plates 6. The inclined plates are ,supportedat longitudinally spaced intervals by vertical members 8 welded to the} web and rear flange .of beam This arrangement forms a track that extends horizontally across the back of the mast. Theback of the yertical plates forms .the rear surfacelof the track, while the inclined plates- ,7 provide inclinedfront surfaces. i I l V ,A carriage isimounted on the track for movement back and forth across theback of; the ,mast. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4,; the ,body of the carriage may be formed from two plates 10 ,and llbolted'together by. bolts .12.. The upper plate is bent to form-the rear wall of thecarriage, an inclined upper wall and an oppositely inclinedfront wall extending downward paralleltothe .upper track surface. "The lower plate overlaps the l owerip ortion oftheupperplate and is bolted to fit. The lower plate extends forward and then {isbent upward parallel to 'lower inclinedsurface of the track. Near each end. of the carriage there is a pair of vertically.spacedfvertical rollers '13"that are journaled in horizdnftalbraeketsl14 secured to the upright rear wall between it and the track. These rollers engage the rear surface oflthejftrack In an mones 6' engage the inclined nemgsnrraees of I ejournaled-jin brackets17 secured tothe inclined front' walls of the carriage. It 'will'be is ee'nflthat these rollers supportthe carriage on the, track and pr'eiient it ,from'movingin any direetion except lengthwise of the track. that direction, it can be rolled back ,andfortli Projecting from the center 'ofthe back ofthecarria ge is an arm, preferably formed from two telescoping lengths 20 and 21 of pipe, one of which is welded to the carriage.

- The outer pipe 21 is provided with a pair of aligned holes,

through which a bolt 22 extends. The, bolt can extend through any one of several axially spaced'pairs of holes 23in theother pipe so that the length of the arm can be adjusted in accordance with the distance of the fast line from the back of the mast. Rigidly mounted on the outer end of the arm is a cluster of substantially horizontal rollers. The cage for the-rollers is formed from a pair of upright plates 24, which have central portions curved away from each other as shown in Fig. 4. One of these curved portions is welded tothe outer end of the arm.

The two plates are rigidly connected in spaced relation by a spacing bar 25 welded in their curved portions near one edge of the plates. Mounted ineach of the curved portions near the opposite edge of the plates is a bracket 26, the two brackets being spaced apart. A roller 27 is journaled ineach bracket and bar 25, and these two rollers likewise are spaced apart. A pair of horizontally spaced rollers 28 are journaled in the upper ends of the plates, and a like pair of rollers 29 are journaled in the lower ends of the plates. The rollers in each of these three pairs are spaced apart only far enough to allow the fast line 30 to extend between. them as it travels from the riage' 'on' the track, the cluster of rollers can eaven m one path, which is a straight line parallel to the track.

No cables, springs or counterweights are usedwith this fast line guide, so they do not have to be contended with.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we

have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. An oil well mast fast line guide, comprising a track adapted to extend horizontally across the back of a mast,

the track having a rear surface and a pair of inclined front surfaces converging forward, a carriage'pr'ovided with rollers engaging said front and rear surfaces for movement lengthwise of the track, and a cluster of substantially horizontal rollers supported by the carriage behind it, said cluster being adapted to receive and engage afast line to keep it from whipping as it moves axially, and the carriage being movable along the track by lateral movement of said line. I

" 2. An oil well mast fast line guide, comprising a track adapted to extend horizontally across the back of a mast, the'trackhaving a rear surface and a pair of inclined front surfaces converging forward, an elongated carriage movable lengthwise of the track and provided with a pair of vertically spaced upright rollers near each end engaging said rear surface, the carriage also being provided with a pair of vertically spaced inclined rollers near each end engaging said front surfaces, and a cluster of substantially horizontal rollers supported by the carriage behind it, said cluster being adapted to receive and engage a fast line to keep it from whipping as it moves, axially, and the carriage being movable along the track bylateral movement of said line. I

3. oil well mast fast line guide, comprising a track adapted to extend horizontally across the back of a mast,

the track having a rear surface and a pair of inclined front surfaces converging forward, a carriage movable lengthwise of the track and provided with upright rollers engaging said rear surface and with inclined rollers engaging said front surfaces, an arm projecting rearwardly from the back of the carriage, and a'cluster of substantially horizontal rollers supported by the rear end of, the arm in position to receive and engage a fast line to lreepit from whipping as it moves axially.

4. A fast line guide according to claim 3, in whichsaid arm is adjustable in length to vary the spacing between said cluster and carriage.

5. An oil well mastfastline guide, comprising a track adapted to extend horizontally across the back of a mast, the track having a rear surface and a pair of inclined front surfaces converging forward, an elongatedcarriage movable lengthwise of the track and having a rear wall parallel to said rear surface and inclined front walls parallel to said front surfaces, upright rollers carried by said rear wall between its opposite ends and said rear surface in engagement with the latter, inclined rollers carried by said front walls between their opposite ends and said front surfaces in engagement with the latter, an arm projecting rearwardly from the back of the carriage, and a cluster of substantially horizontal rollers supported by the rear end of the arm in position to receive and engage a fast line, the carriage being movable along the track by lateral pressure of said line against said clusterofrollers.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Foster Sept. 11, 1928 2,695,770 Stone -t Nov. 30,1954 

